The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-30
THE SUPPLY OF WATkA.
ACCEPTANCE OF r. @. GRAVES'S
PETITION 10 SUPPLY
Water From Deep Bored Wells Rec
commended by Council Com
mittee Yesterday.
A CONTRADICTORY AND SINGU.
LAR PROCEEDING.
The Council Going Back on q Once
Heartily Endorsed Report
Against Well Water.

At the meeting OF the Legislativ
Council last Thursday the foliowin
petition was read from Mr.. r.
Graves:
"As the representative OF an ic
company he has been experimenting
in the matter OF procuring good waite
by the sinking of deep wells. Tha
he has expended for this purpose near
ly $4,000 in this city; that recent,
he has caused to be sunk on the NORTH
side Of Court street we'll to the deptl
OF 800 feet, at cost OF about $1,000
and has found fiue supply Of waite
OF good quality. That he has beoom,
satisfied that by penetrating the lower
strata he can find water in quality anC
quantity entirely acceptable t. thu
public use; that he has made the nee
essary arrangements to do this at his
own expense; has employed compe.
tent man, who has all the nee,
essary machinery required for this
purpose, and can commence work
al an early date. That the expense
for this work will probably be- several
thousand dollars; and that he now
proposes to make this effort at his
own expense and without cost to the
Taxing District, provided your honor
able body will, in case he finds water
in quantity and quality satisfactory to
you, give him the use OF the streets
and alleys of the city for distributing
and selling thu same to the general
public, including the city.
1t was referred to a committee of
three, consisting of Messrs Graham,
Rsndle and Patterson, with power
to act.
The committee met yesterday after
noon and agreed to report favorably
on the petition, and also to authorizs
the city, as soon as Mr.. Graves de-
monstrates the feasibility Of his plan
and produces q satisfactory quality
aud quantity of water, to enter into q
contract with him for a. public
water supply. This recommendation
on the part OF the Councils Commit
tee is in direct and glaripg oppo-
sition to the report of the Water Com
mittee q Ten, male and adopted Feb
ruary 20, 1886. This report was based
upon long and faithful research py
Gen. Cotton Greene, backed ND by the
leading minds OF the scientific world.
In 1t the sourceof supply pro-
posed Is dealt with at length,
fact, being brought forward in
abundance TO prove the policy
ruinous and absurd. It was printed
in full at the time, and sincerely hoped
/. would never become necessary to
repeat. This anticipation has been
blasted, and for the benz fit Of the pub
lie, and especially the City Council,
the following extracts, heartily In.
dorsed by them at the time, are re.
printed:
before considering these several
sources from which it is thought a
public supply may be secured, it may
be proper to repeat the we'll known
fact that wat.r r, whether it is found on
tie surface of the earth or beneath it,
is derived solely from the rain and
snow that descends from above, There
is no other source Of supply. A portion
OF the rainfall is discharged from the
surface in the form OF rivers or is col
lected in lakes and ponds; portion is
taken up by vegetable substances, an
other portion IA evaporated, and the
rest sinks into the earth, ra'sing
through strata more or less porous,
forming those subterrsnean reservoirs
fom which, under favorable condi-
lions, Springs Issue or water is obtain
cd BY human contrivanCeJ, such as
common, bored, driven and artesian
Nc.ls here sre nc data--at least sui
fi3ienf Ia n have not bean found in the
couT5s o, these investigations-irom
which IN estimate the proportion of
the rainfall thai a2tu u y sinks into the
ground in tho area under considera-
ton, hence supply from this source
must remain conjeCtural until careful
and trustworthy observations have
been made to determine it. II is obvi-
oue, teo, that more exact knowledge
Of the geological character of the area
aud the climatic influences governing
it than are now possessed, are requisite
for our guidance.
THAT portion OF the rainfall which
sinks into the earth and Is retained in
a deposit OF gravel or other porous
soil near the surface constitutes the
ground water, from which source com.
mon and driven wells are supplied;
and as the depth Of source OF supply
ike this offers an insufficient area for
filtration, care should be observed to
protect IL from surface impurities and
drainage pollution. The quantity
which may be taken from this source
is dependent upon the rainfall and the
drsught made on il In no case can
the supply be maintained unless the
rainfall on the surface which con-
tributes to the saturation OF the water
bearing deposit Is largely in excess Of
the draught. In dry seasons the sup
ply will be diminished il the draught
ia excessive and continuous the source
will become exhausted. To determine
the quantity OF water that may be
taken regularly and with certainty,
the character and extent OF the water
bearing deposit, the drainage area and
its inclinations, and the mean rainfall
should be known.
"In respect of the popular opinion
that driven wells will take more water
from a given area than dug wells, ow-
ing to certain alleged hydroststic laws,
Investigations and experiments Oar
cy, Dupont, Luegger, Piefke, OF Eu-
rope; Marsh, Hoadly, Croes, etc OF
America) have 30 thoroughly proven
the fallecy Of the opinion as to put the
contention beyond the arena Of dis
cussion. II is true, however, that for
facility and economy Of construction
driven wells may be used advanta.
geously for manufacturing purposes,
within certain limits. But II is held
that Memphis can be supplied from
driven wells, the opinion being
founded on the successful use OF this
system at Brooklyn, N. Y, and Jack
son, Tenn. 1t is evident that il the
ground water bearing deposit and the
geological conditions of Memphis are
similar to those of the cities named
the results that have been reached by
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